| William R. Perl | |
|---|---|
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 September 1906 Prague, Austro-hungarian Empire |
| Died | 24 December 1998 Beltsville, Maryland, United States |
| Nativity | Austria |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Known for | Chief interrogator during the Malmedy massacre trial |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| ASN | 0555149 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 6 (13 March – 11 May 1943) |
| Section | 4 |
| Teams | IPW 175, IPW 177 |
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William R. Perl (September 21, 1906 – December 24, 1998) was a Prague-born American lawyer and psychologist who was the chief interrogator during the Malmedy massacre trial.
Biography
On 20 May 1943, Became naturalized citizen (Certificate No. William attended college, University of Vienna (Psychology & Law, PhD, LLD). He worked as a practiced law in Vienna. He returned to Vienna to locate and rescue wife. He (handwriting expert and personnel consultant). Perl (September 21, 1906 – December 24, 1998) was a Prague-born American lawyer and psychologist who was the chief interrogator during the Malmedy massacre trial. Perl was born to a textile merchant in Prague on September 21, 1906, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He spent much of his youth and early adulthood in Vienna. Perl attended the University of Vienna, where he earned a Ph.D. In law and a master's degree in international business. He joined Ivria, one of several Jewish fraternities, as a student and soon became deeply immersed in the growing Zionist movement. Perl was a chief interrogator during the Malmedy massacre trial, where Col. Joachim Peiper and other members of the Waffen-SS were prosecuted for the murder of American prisoners of war at Malmedy, Belgium in December 1944. Byrne, Morris Ellowitz, Harry Thon and Joseph Kirschbaum, Perl was criticized for alleged torture at the interrogations. Perl continued his study of psychology at Columbia University and then served as an army psychologist until his retirement with the rank of Lt. He died at his home on December 24, 1998.
Research notes
- Malmedy Trials; Retired 58 Lt.Col.
- Rescued an estimated 40,000 Jews
- Author, "Operation Action"
- Portrait and summary from Notable Ritchie Boys slides (source).
Gallery
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Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 92 |
| Class_ASN | 32712884 |
| Class_Name | PERL, William |
| match_method | pass2_unique_name |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 17 April 1938 — Married Lore Rollig (who secretly converted to Judaism).
- ?/1944 Transferred to forward intelligence unit (IPW Team 177) on the.
- ?/1945 Assigned to War Crimes Branch as interrogator.
- Prague, son of Rudolf and Camilla.
- Promoted to Staff Sergeant (T/3) and assigned to DEML Section.
- Returned to Vienna to locate and rescue wife.
Sources
- Wikipedia: William R. Perl
- Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
- Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
- NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
- 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of William R. Perl for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Perl, William R. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: WILLIAM R. PERL - TIME LINE.doc)
